No more excuses from your spouse! Make your very own lie detector!

[AnyMal]

Get this kit at Compgeeks

 

[cmetz]

A multi-meter with an impedence setting (e.g., VOM) from Radio Shack or Home Depot for the same price (after shipping costs) will do the same thing as this kit does, plus will be useful for real projects.

 

[Jhill]

Sweet. I might get this to screw around with.

 

[Souka]

true about just getting a regular multi-meter, but this "detector" would be pretty kool for a 8-16yr old.....

I'd be stoked if my folks had bought me this when I was younger...

 

[Sachmho]

do u really need a soldering iron for this, or could u get by just taping the contacts together

 

[ReiAyanami]

no, go for some non-lead silver solder and make some western union splices, ever tried taping wires together...

 

[Sachmho]

i don't exactly have a soldering iron or any solder, so i dunno how practical this kit might be if i had to buy a soldering iron and solder just to use it.... that is why i want to know if i could get by by just taping contacts together... what exactly needs to be soldered? i've connected numerous wires in my day by twisting the ends together and wrapping with electrical tape...

 

[huesmann]

Busted link.

 

[Tal]

Originally posted by: Sachmho
i don't exactly have a soldering iron or any solder, so i dunno how practical this kit might be if i had to buy a soldering iron and solder just to use it.... that is why i want to know if i could get by by just taping contacts together... what exactly needs to be soldered? i've connected numerous wires in my day by twisting the ends together and wrapping with electrical tape...

This looks to invlove soldering wires into a small PCB. Not hard work. You can pick up a cheap soldering iron at home depot or Menards or your local flavor hardware store for less than $10. Then you'll have one forever. I got a cheapo for a buddy the other day for $3. -TAL

 

[AnyMal]

Originally posted by: huesmann
Busted link.

Just checked the link, still works.

 

[Sachmho]

intriguing... so i'm assuming soldering the wire into the pcb isn't too complicated, at least if you have half a brain or more? just tryin to get a feel for what this would require

 

[Flatbroke]

Really cant say much about this item, but not what I am interested in. You will need a soldering iron for this. A 25Watt with a chisel tip, (not a round one), would be the best size for this and other electronic items you may work with after you get your iron. The problem with a soldering "gun" is that it puts out too much "heat" (75Watts +), and the "loop" tip is too big. Guns are better for house wiring, etc, except most people just use wire nuts, so gun is not used too much. You need some solder. You want rosin core, dia no larger than a pencil lead, it will say 60/40. Do not get solid core, acid core, plumbers use this. Radio shack has irons, and the correct solder. If you can find find "NASA" or 63/37 solder, its the best, with a lower melting temp, you can solder quickly and not damage electronic components. The worst you can do, is have a 75Watt iron with a big tip, and hold it on the component too long.
Solder flows toward the heat, so here is what you do, plug in your new iron, wet a sponge, get a 10-12" piece of solder cut off the roll. When the iron is hot, you must tin the "new" tip first, before you use it the first time. Take the solder and melt it on the tip. The tip will now have a big glob of solder on it. Thats to stop oxidation from the heat, and prepare a new tip. Now to solder. Wipe the solder off the tip on the wet sponge. Solder has lead in it, and lead is very bad, especially for children, so use an old sponge for this, and dont use it for anything else after. Now put a small amount of solder on the tip. This will allow you to heat the pin or conector up quicker. Have your piece of solder in one hand and the iron in the other. Apply the iron to the solder point to start heating it, and 1/2 sec later touch the solder to the other side. The solder will flow around the pad on the circuit board and the "connector", and then remove the solder and slide the iron up and off. Dont blow on the connection to cool it, and dont move it while it is cooling. After you have soldered something, then clip the extra bit of wire sticking through the circuit board. Try to dodge the smoke coming off when you solder, one sniff wont kill you, but it aint good, so try to avoid having it always come right up in your face. When you are done, put a big glob of solder on the iron tip, and unplug the iron. The glob on solder protects the tip from oxidizing between uses. It aint that hard, and like a drill, you may only use it every 6 months, but when you need one, nothing else will take its place.

 

[xkenny013]

Bah ... no SO. Besides, I already knew the last one was a liar.

 

[ViperV990]

Think about it... who would need a lie detector more? The one that visits hot deal forums or the one that doesn't?

 

[MiataPaul]

I just bought a 30 amp soldering iron for $2.00 I could not pass it up. I have a 1989 BMW 735iL and the dash computer boards are know to have bad capacitors. I ti giving the typical error. The repair costs about $3 in parts and the dealer charges like $250! just for parts. So getting to know how to use one and having one on hand is really good. So do not be afraid of the soldering iron get one, practice and try the project. You may save your self some money some day.

 

[Flatbroke]

I just bought a 30 amp soldering iron for $2.00

For those of you about to buy a iron, he means Watts, 30Watts. A common mistake, but dont want to confuse first time buyers. If you ask for a 30AMP iron, you will get some funny looks, except at RatShack, where the clerk will go over to the rack and help you look for one, ha.